The paper focusses on the impact on dryland ecosystems of conflicting governance in the regulations of land use, water for irrigation and electric energy from photovoltaic installations (PV). The research uses the empirical results of a panel data model based on long time series that enable sensitivity of the main crops to energy cost and the viability of the solar panel system connected to the grid

The present study deals with the hydrology of two adjoining watersheds, located in an area where average annual rainfall is ~280 mm. One watershed is located in a loess covered area, and the second in a rocky area. Hydrological data collected in the loess area point to a very high frequency of channel flow. However, even in extreme rain events, peak discharges are extremely low, pointing to a limited

The ecology of wildlife in remote arid regions with free-range livestock farming activities remains largely unexplored. We studied the temporal activity patterns of African leopards (Panthera pardus) in relation to prey in Namaqualand, South Africa, a semi-desert ecosystem with extensive livestock farming and a protected area. Camera trapping in winter and summer 2014–2015 (n = 95 stations) showed

In the lower basin of the Colorado River (Buenos Aires province, Argentina) the Zoko Andi 1 archaeological site was occupied by hunter-gatherer groups during the Late Holocene (ca. 1500–400 14C years BP). The site is the only one in the entire study area that has an important presence of charcoals in a stratigraphic context, particularly related to the Lower Component, dated at ca. 1500–1300 14C years

The episodic, seasonal hydrology of Lake Eyre Basin (LEB) rivers produce a series of waterholes which provide critical aquatic refugia and essential water supply during predominantly dry periods. This study used direct measures of water loss, regional meteorological data, and waterhole bathymetry to develop calibrated waterhole persistence models in a range of waterhole types throughout the Queensland

Increasing extremes in climate related weather events pose a major threat to plant recruitment in drylands. Research has shown facilitation effects by shrubs to improve recruitment in arid regions, however it remains unclear if these effects vary between soil types, early life stages and in both severe precipitation and drought events. We test if shrubs facilitate abundance of both seedlings and juveniles

With urbanization expanding into natural areas, it is increasingly important to understand how species subject to human-induced habitat alteration respond to novel opportunities and stressors. A pervasive consequence of urbanization is artificial light at night (ALAN), which previous studies have found introduces both costs and benefits for vertebrates. This understanding, however, primarily reflects

Urbanization transforms natural ecosystems, creating an environmental mosaic, characterized by native vegetation sites mixed with constructed sites. In this study, we compared dung beetle taxonomic and functional diversity between residential and greenspace sites (remnants of native vegetation) in an urban landscape in the Brazilian Cerrado. We sampled dung beetles in February (2013–2014 – 2015) in

North American sagebrush-steppe bunchgrasses primarily establish from seed; however, the importance of parental plant carbon from flag leaves or within the seed head itself to reproduction in perennial bunchgrasses is unknown. To address this, we experimentally removed flag leaves and shaded seed heads to assess their importance to reproduction in the exotic bunchgrass crested wheatgrass (Agropyron

Brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) and roof rats (Rattus rattus) are among the most common mammals worldwide. Little is known about the effects of season on rat population size, which is important for understanding rat ecology and/or performing effective rat control campaigns. Tsukiji Market was a metropolitan central wholesale market in Tokyo and was located within 1 km from one of the biggest downtown

Echinocactus platycanthus is a remarkable globular cacti that can reach sizes up to 2 m in diameter, and is known for its high tolerance to salt stress, as they inhabit arid environments where salinity is prominent. Understanding the early developmental events of salt tolerance and stress responses will help understand how seedlings establish in arid environments. Thus, we asked how E. platyacanthus

Birdsong is an important feature that mediates several aspects of bird reproduction, such as mate choice, territory defense, and individual recognition. Any factor that impairs vocal transmission through the environment may also impair conspecific recognition and thus reduce the effectiveness of reproduction. In this scenario, birds inhabiting urban environments might be subject to different selective

Although genetic techniques are moving toward collecting massive amounts of genome-wide data through genome-scans, microsatellite markers (µsats) still provide a simple and cost-effective method for key applications such as parentage analyses, pedigree tracking, assessing likelihoods of disease conditions and DNA fingerprinting, among others. Newer laboratory protocols using high throughput sequencing

This study investigates soil stabilization through two soil strengthening techniques, specifically; Bio-cementation through Microbial induced calcite precipitation (MICP) and Bio-polymerization using Xanthan gum for aeolian erosion control applications. The performances of these techniques were evaluated in terms of improvement in Threshold friction velocity (TFV), soil mass loss (%), and soil crust

Green infrastructure is an increasingly popular strategy to simultaneously address challenges associated with urbanization and global environmental change, including increased flooding and rising temperatures. While many cities aim to expand green infrastructure to deliver ecosystem services, their impacts will be limited without significant uptake on private property. Most studies and programs to

Urbanisation is a prominent and increasing form of land-use change, with the potential to disrupt the interactions between pollinators such as bees and the flowering plants that they visit. This in turn may cause cascading local extinctions and have consequences for pollination services. Network approaches go beyond simple metrics of abundance and species richness, enabling understanding of how the

An Erratum to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10343-020-00528-0

An Erratum to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10343-020-00526-2

Urbanization is a worldwide phenomenon associated with tremendous modifications of natural habitats. Understanding how city dwelling species are affected by those changes is becoming a pressing issue. We presently lack fine scale spatio-temporal studies investigating the impact of urbanization across different life stages and along urbanization gradients. Based on 8 years of monitoring of urban and

Urbanization has been shown to strongly affect community composition of various taxa with potentially strong shifts in ecological interactions, including those between hosts and parasites. We investigated the effect of urbanization on the composition of arthropods in nests of great tits in Flanders, Belgium. These nests contain taxonomically and functionally diverse arthropod communities including

Anthropocentric defaunation affects critical ecological processes, such as seed dispersal, putting ecosystems and biomes at risk, and leading to habitat impoverishment. Diverse restoration techniques could reverse the process of habitat impoverishment. However, in most of the restoration efforts, only vegetation cover is targeted. Fauna and flora are treated as isolated components, neglecting a key

Urban ecosystems and ecosystem services have received little research attention in South Asian countries where rapid urban development is currently problematic. We developed a typology of urban ecosystems and an inventory of current ecosystem services for Dhaka – the capital of Bangladesh. Our observations, surveys, analyses, and evaluation revealed a diversity of urban ecosystems including khal (canal)

Urbanisation has caused significant alterations to ecosystems, generally resulting in decreased biodiversity. However, certain animal species persist and thrive in urban environments by making use of available opportunities, anthropogenic resources, infrastructure and increased ambient and surface temperatures. These species are known as urban exploiters. We investigated the southern tree agama, Acanthocercus

Microsatellites have been a staple of population genetics research for over three decades, and many large datasets have been generated with these markers. Microsatellites have been used, for example, to conduct genetic monitoring and construct large multigeneration pedigrees as well as genotype thousands of individuals from a given species to create high-resolution baselines of spatial genetic structure

Drylands are of great significance on terrestrial ecosystems and economic development, while being sensitive to climate changes and human activities. How global drylands extent and climate changed is not clear, and the dominant factor is the dispute over enhanced air evaporative demand and insufficient precipitation. This study attempted to fill this gap by exploring the trends in dryland areas, aridity

The Dugong dugon (dugong) and Chelonia mydas (green sea turtle) are economically and culturally significant marine mega-herbivores whose populations are declining globally. Capture of these animals for study is challenging and stressful for the animals. Ecological questions can be answered using faeces, which can be collected floating on the water’s surface. However, green turtle and dugong faeces

American mink Neovison vison is a semi-aquatic mustelid that has been introduced throughout Europe. Several attempts to eradicate this invasive species have been carried out since its spread. In the Iberian Peninsula, an eradication program has started since 2001, as part of the national action plan for the conservation of European mink Mustela lutreola. Proper detection is crucial for management,

As urbanization continues to expand worldwide, more and more urban areas become home to wild animals able to adapt to city life, generating a growing need for information. In the Greater Paris area, the existence of three wild mammals (the stone marten, Martes foina, the red fox, Vulpes vulpes and the hedgehog, Erinaceus europaeus) is attested. However, little is known regarding their presence. The

The development of urban areas imposes challenges that wildlife must adapt to in order to persist in these new habitats. One of the greatest changes brought by urbanization has been an increase in anthropogenic noise, with negative consequences for the natural behavior of animals. Small mammals are particularly vulnerable to urbanization and noise, despite some species having successfully occupied

Urbanization is a major cause of biodiversity loss and disconnection between people and nature. For this reason, the creation and maintenance of green areas as part of the urban landscape is a common practice in cities around the world. These green areas are generally a result of particular public policies regarding how these areas can be accessed, maintained, and how they are connected to other natural

Many species of the family Picidae, such as the woodpeckers, excavate the tree-cavities where they nest. Frequently the cavities are used during a single breeding season and subsequently abandoned, which allows their use by non-excavator species for nesting or roosting. Here we analyze the role of woodpeckers as providers of nesting and refuge places in two urban parks in the city of Madrid. The environmental

Rhinanthus major and R. minor are two annual plant species that are known to hybridize in nature and in which unilateral introgression is likely to occur. Here we used double-digest restriction site-associated DNA sequencing technology (ddRAD-seq) to detect 16,932 genome-wide SNPs in R. major and R. minor individuals from 9 populations. After screening these SNP markers across both species, we selected

The tule elk (Cervus canadensis nannodes) is endemic to California, USA, where it experienced an extreme genetic bottleneck in the 1870s. Two other subspecies of elk co-occur in California, Roosevelt (C. c. roosevelti) and Rocky Mountain (C. c. nelsoni) elk. These subspecies potentially interbreed in contact zones. For monitoring and genetic management of fragmented populations, markers are needed

Conservation and management of protected species, particularly of elusive species such as pinnipeds, is hampered by knowledge gaps. In the case of studies using genetic data these are often attributed to a lack of representative samples. Therefore, there is a pressing need for the development of minimally invasive sampling protocols suitable for genetic analyses of pinnipeds. The present study evaluated

The Soil Crust International (SCIN) project was a multidisciplinary attempt to obtain a complete understanding of biocrusts communities across Europe, including among the monitored locations the Tabernas badlands in Spain, the driest habitat in the whole continent. Here we provide an overview in a Mini-Review format of our research about the functional performance of the more relevant biocrust forming

Invertebrate communities occupying hypolithic habitats at the rock-soil interface are diverse and can contribute significantly to ecosystem functioning, especially in arid environments. However, these communities are poorly understood. We tested three hypotheses of processes that may structure these communities, these reflecting species-area relationships, microclimate refuges and the effects of predation

The sustainable urban redevelopment project to protect biodiversity was developed to regenerate the external spaces of an ancient rural farmhouse, Villa Framarino, in the regional Natural Park of Lama Balice, a shallow erosive furrow (lama) rich in biodiversity, between two suburbs of the city of Bari (Apulia, Italy) and close to the city airport. This work includes a complex system of activities aimed

Frankincense, gum arabic and myrrh are among the most valuable commercial non-timber forest products in the drylands of eastern Africa. This study examines the frankincense value chain and its contribution to the household economy in southern Ethiopia. The study applied a combination of sustainable livelihood and value chain framework to assess the values and the contribution of frankincense to household

The emergence of North American grasslands occurred no earlier than the postglacial period. As a key species, Bouteloua gracilis has been widely studied, and authors have suggested a northward migration from Mexico towards the United States. B. gracilis is extremely vulnerable to present global climate change and distribution modeling at different times (Last Glacial Maximum-LGM, mid-Holocene, Present

Winter triticale (Triticale) cv. Dinaro and winter rye (Secale cereale L.) cv. Dańkowskie Diament were grown in 2012 and 2013 in a field-plot experiment in Tomaszkowo near Olsztyn (NE Poland). The experiment consisted of 7 treatments: absolute control (without fertilizers or the growth stimulator), control-NPK fertilizer, NPK fertilizer + micronutrients applied alone or in combination (4 treatments)

We hypothesized that diet choice of mixed-breed goats on xerophytic shrubland of northern Mexico depends on their milk yield potential. During winter and spring (dry season), milk yield was recorded and forage samples were collected weekly. Goats were separated into a medium (MP; n = 20) or low-milk yielding groups (LP; n = 20). Total milk yield for 105 d lactation was 45.2 ± 12.5 and 20.7 ± 5.2 L

The objectives of this work were to quantify the soil organic carbon (SOC) stock and to evaluate the distribution of soil aggregates and their respective SOC and labile carbon (LC) present inside the aggregates in different perennial land use systems in the semi-arid region of Brazil. Soil samples were collected in four land use systems: two forage palm cultivation systems of different ages, a mango

Urban landscapes are often characterized by a wide range of diverse flowering plants consisting of native and exotic plants. These flower-rich habitats have proven to be particularly valuable for urban pollinating insects. However, the ability of ornamental plants in supporting urban pollinator communities is still not well documented. For this study, we established flower beds at 13 different urban

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of five forage cactus genotypes (“Gigante,” “Miúda," “IPA Sertânia," “Orelha de Elefante Mexicana” [OCP], and “Orelha de Elefante Africana” [ACP]) in sheep. The goal was also to show the importance of energy content compared with other forages produced in dryland conditions. Five male sheep cannulated were randomized in a 5 × 5 Latin square design. The experimental

Fire disturbance represents a major driver of soil nitrogen (N) distribution in many arid and semiarid grasslands. The spatial patterns of soil N and δ 15 N at microsite scale following fires, however, are rarely studied. Here we investigated the spatial distribution of soil N and soil δ 15 N before and within three years after a prescribed fire in a grassland-shrubland ecotone in the northern Chihuahuan

Varanus griseus caspius (desert monitor) is a predator included appendix I of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species; therefore, it is crucial to plan for its conservation. In this study, the suitable habitats of the desert monitor, Varanus griseus caspius, were evaluated in Iran, considering 10 environmental factors, for three periods of time: mid-Holocene, current, and years 2041–2060

Population density and use of space by the rodent, Kerodon rupestris, were investigated in a semiarid area in Brazil. Distance sampling was used along line transects to estimate population density. Observations of K. rupestris were recorded on rocks, open ground, and in vegetation. The air temperature and the height of the vegetation were recorded for each observation. The frequencies of these observations

Washingtonia palms occur scattered in oases and canyons of the larger Sonoran Desert from lat. 24° to lat. 34° N. Northern oases have an arid temperate climate while those in the south experience seasonally dry, tropical conditions. A marked latitudinal cline in morphological characters has been described within the genus. We hypothesized that aridity-adapted leaf traits in Washingtonia palms, such

The diagnosis of land degradation requires a deep understanding of ecosystem functioning and evolution. In dryland systems, in particular, research efforts must address the redistribution of scarce resources for vegetation, in a context of high spatial heterogeneity and non-linear response. This fact explains the prevalence of eco-hydrological perspectives interested in runoff processes and, the more

Land degradation neutrality (LDN) has been widely recognized as an important target to achieve goals for global sustainable development. Ecological restoration projects (ERPs) are considered a traditional approach to mitigate wind erosion by altering the structures and functions of the ecosystem. Thus, the efficiency of China's historical large-scale ERPs for wind erosion mitigation should be examined

Pre-Neolithic hunter-gatherer populations were fully integrated in natural systems, they played an ecological role as top predators affecting food web dynamics according to predator-prey models, through which they maintained and controlled prey species numbers. However, human abilities to adapt to changing environments and different habitats as well as their capacity to expand, allowed them to occupy

The Norway rat is a globally distributed pest, known for its resilience to eradication and control programs. Efficient population control, especially in urban settings, is dependent on knowledge of rat demography and population ecology. We analyzed the relationship between four demographic outcomes, estimated by live-trapping data, and fine-scale environmental features measured at the capture site

The pastoral literature place little emphasis on the cooperative aspect of being a pastoralist. Part of the neglect stems from conflating the livestock owning unit, i.e. the household, with the herding group. Among Tibetan pastoralists, the herding group consist of people and animals from one or several households. They herd in groups because there is an optimal size of the herd concerning daily herding:

Eligmodontia morgani and E. typus are two small (<25 g) sigmodontine rodents that live in dry areas of southern Argentina. The species are very difficult to distinguish in the field, so their geographical delimitation has always been the subject of controversy. In this work we used sampling sites where each species has been previously identified by its karyotypes and mtDNA, and modeled their potential

During the past few decades, extensive use of herbicides has created ecological and environmental problems such as dominance of minor weeds due to their resistance to herbicides, and human health hazards. Recognising these problems, an experiment was conducted in two consecutive wheat seasons during 2012–2014 in Central Bangladesh to evaluate five weed control methods: (i) control (weedy check), (ii) one

Urbanization is one of the most intensive forms of landscape and habitat transformation, resulting in species loss, and taxonomic and functional homogenization of different communities. Whilst green infrastructure (the network of natural and semi-natural areas in cities) has been studied extensively in terms of specific features that promote biodiversity, there have been no studies that have assessed

Previous observations support predictions that habitat structure plays a major role in the distribution of species in several tropical regions. In such environments, arthropods are a key component of ecosystems because they are predators that may directly influence the energy flow dynamics in the ecosystem. As such, we investigated the effects of environmental structure on scorpion diversity in the